Different
by Veridissima
Summary: Hogwarts AU. Five times Ned wished he wasn't Different, one time he was glad he was. Fill for Catelyn and Ned Week


_This is a fill for the fifth (and last) day of the Catelyn and Ned Week - prompt: Alternative Universe_

_English is not my first language, so I apologize for any mistakes_

_Also, I don't own ASOIAF._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

**One. The Letter**

It was the second Monday of July, and any young wizard in England knew what that meant, it was the day the Hogwarts letters arrived. Brandon was already there for the past year, and Ned couldn't wait to join him, Brandon had told him so many things about the castle, the teachers, and everything else, and now Ned wished to see it.

Ned was also nervous about what would his house be, in some way he would like to be placed in Gryffindor with his brother, but he didn't think that the Red and Gold house was his – maybe a Ravenclaw like his mother, he pondered.

Ned couldn't sleep anymore, he looked at the clock and saw it was still only 7 o'clock, but he still got up and went to downstairs, finding both his mother and Benjen already awake.

"Good morning, Ned," his mum said. "How did you sleep?"

"Fine. Woke up a few times," Ned asked, before nervously asking. "Has any letter arrived yet?"

"No, not yet. It's still early, Ned," Lyarra protested, while putting a bowl of porridge in front of him. His mother's words calmed him, and he relaxed, forgetting all about Hogwarts and letters.

But still every time a owl came through the window, Ned's heart did a little jump, and he ran to see what it was, it was mid-day when the a letter with the Hogwarts stamp came, Ned quickly approached his father, who was opening it.

"Sorry, son. It's Brandon's letter, it seems we need to go shopping tomorrow for your stuff."

"Cool," Brandon said reaching for the letter. "Can I finally get a broomstick?"

"You will see," their mother said. "There's still a few weeks before you need to get back to Hogwarts." But while Mum said it, Ned noticed Dad winking to Brandon, who couldn't help but smile at the possibility of getting a real broomstick tomorrow.

"Mum, I need new robes," Lyanna pleaded.

"Lya, we bought new ones just a few weeks ago. You can't just go around ruining every new one we got you. You can wear your brothers for awhile. And noww maybe learn to stop running and climbing every tree you find," Dad said, but this time it was Lyarra's turn to contradict her husband by pulling her only daughter for a hug and whispering something in her hear.

Everything went back to normal again after that, Brandon disappeared to invite a few friends to go shopping with him tomorrow, and Ned tried not to show his family how worried he was as the hours seemed to pass and no other owl with a Hogwarts stamp came through their window.

Neither of his parents mentioned anything, they went on like it was nothing that Ned hadn't receive his acceptance letter from Hogwarts, and his siblings just kept repeating that maybe they had forgotten – but Ned wasn't stupid, he knew what it meant.

"I'm sure you'll get it tomorrow," Lyanna told him before they went to bed, hugging him tight around the waist, but he couldn't answer so he just kissed her tonight.

So now Ned sat on his bed, unable to sleep. He knew what the lack of letter meant, and he should have known before, after all even little Benjen had shown signs of magic by making his siblings' toys appear in his room.

Ned didn't know his place anymore, he didn't belong here. He should have been born a muggle – a squib to a pureblood family was so much worst.

He stood up, wanting to just find something to eat, but his parents' voices called to his attention, so he sat on the third step of the stairs.

"What are you doing up at this hour, Lyarra?" His father asked.

"Rhaella sent a letter confirming that Ned isn't a wizard," she said. "It wasn't a mess up, Rickard."

"I know. But there's nothing we can do…"

"Nothing! If you think I'm letting you throw my son out just because he's what he is, and of what the pureblood society will think," Mum yelled, and Ned was scared that his father had actually planned.

"For Merlin's sake, Lyarra, you know me better than that," he said, sounding defeated, and stepping closer to her who was pacing from on side to the other. "Ned is my son too, and I love him as much as the others. But you need to sleep."

"I can't. I'm waiting for a package, I asked Rhaella to send me some of the muggle study books – anything muggle that we'll help. We're both too stupid to take muggle studies while at school, but it seems we'll be learning now."

"Muggle studies?"

"What do you plan to do with Ned, then? Forget Diagon Alley tomorrow…"

"We told Brandon, Lya. And he already arranged with his friends," his father said, and Ned was immediately said by ruining his brother's plans just because he couldn't be normal.

"Drop him off, if you want. We can go shopping for him later. It's mid-July, and we'll still need to find Ned a school, teach him about muggle stuff – 11 years of muggle things – Rickard."

"Okay," he said. "What can I do to help?"

"Send an owl to Gringotts, asking to convert part of our money to muggle money," she ordered him, and they both got back to work. Ned stayed where he was, trying to see if they said anything else, ending up falling asleep until he heard an enormous noise from the living room, and moving a bit closer he could see than an owl had dropped a pile of books.

"Those are…" Father said. "Those are a lot to go through."

"Rickard, how can we ever give Ned a good life?" Mother asked, the desperation visible in her voice, reaching for Father. "Why couldn't he just be a wizard, Rick. I failed us, I failed him," she whispered, with tears falling from her eyes. "It's my blood that made him a squib – it's my blood that destroyed his life."

While his mother said that, Ned finally understood the repercussions of his state, while neither of his parents was ever a defender of the pureblood superiority politics, they were part of the pureblood society, and Ned was certainly going to be their downfall.

* * *

**Two. The 9 ¾ Platform**

It wasn't Ned's first time at the King's Cross station, not even at the platform, but he couldn't stop thinking that today should be the day he should have gotten on board of the train with his brother.

Ned was looking at the train, and all the young wizards passing by, there were at least two of his old colleagues that said "hi", one was even making his way to him, before his friend's father stopped him – after all you shouldn't befriend squibs.

His father rested a hand on his shoulder, while Benjen held his hand, for benefit of both of them, and thankfully his parents had talked with his younger siblings, because neither of them asked about Ned's stay.

Brandon had finally come back to the family when the ten minute call happened, and he was saying goodbye to his siblings, before reaching him.

"Hey… I'm really sorry, Ned. I wish you would be in school with me."

"Me too, Brandon. But it seems I'm not good enough for that," Ned murmured.

"Ned, you're going to go to Muggle School, and you're going to school those asses – you're going to be the best," Brandon said, before pulling him for a hug, and while Ned thought about those words, he had never been the best at anything, so he couldn't believe them. Looking at his old friends and brother boarding the train, he wished once again he could be there with them.

* * *

Every year he came back, most times just on September 1st, waiting for his siblings at home during the holidays. Today Ned would start living alone with his parents, since his youngest brother was finally starting his first year at Hogwarts.

"Where do you think I'll be?" He asked walking next to Ned. "Do you think Brandon and Lya will still talk to me even if I don't get into Gryffindor?"

"Of course, yes." _They still talk to me and I'm a squib_, Ned thought.

"I think I'm a Ravenclaw, I think," Benjen said after thinking for awhile, and Ned could see Ravenclaw in his brother.

"So maybe Ned's girlfriend can help you," Brandon said throwing his arms around both of his younger brothers. "You've got to say goodbye to her too, right?"

"Shut up, Brandon. You're making Ned uncomfortable," Lyanna said.

Once they make it to the platform, they are submersed by an enormous crowd of students and parents walking from one side to the other, both Brandon and Lyanna disappear immediately to look for their friends, Benjen stayed glued to Mum and Dad, while Ned looked around to see if he could catch the head of red hair he so wanted to see.

"Hi," someone said, after touching Ned's shoulder, and making him immediately turn. "I missed you," she said smiling.

"I missed you too," he said even if they had seen each other last week. "So are you ready for another year of school?"

"Think so. But I really think I'll miss you, you promise I can owl you wherever I want."

"Of course. And I will come to Hogsmeade too; actually I already promised Lyanna too, third year and all."

"Which year are you starting? I always forget with the weird names."

"Year Eleven."

"I'll learn everything I can about it in Muggle Studies. And promise you won't get into trouble, I met Robert – and he seemed to get into as much trouble as your brother."

"Are you sure you want to take Muggle Studies, it's…"

"Ned, during this summer, you showed me Muggle London, you took me to Muggle places, and showed me movies and the internet. And it was fun, so much fun, I just want to learn all about it," she said, before they were interrupted by his father.

"Ned, you need to say goodbye to your siblings. And I'm sure Miss Tully has to say goodbye to her family," and with that Catelyn ran away.

"Sorry, we're leaving you alone with Mum and Dad," Brandon said hugging him. "Take care, brother."

"You too."

"Promise you will meet me in Hogsmeade."

"I promise, Lya."

"He may spend the entire time with Catelyn, but that's another point," Brandon pointed out.

"I'll meet _you_, Lya," he said offering her his pinky, that she took before kissing him goodbye. And then Benjen just hugged him with full strength.

"I'm sorry I'm leaving, Ned. I wish you could come," Benjen said into his chest.

"Me too. But I can't, I'll keep scoring goals at soccer for you, while you can play Quidditch for me."

"I will," Benjen said, he took his siblings hands and they walked to the train, after saying heir final goodbyes. They had already moved away, when the calm and always composed Catelyn Tully jumped into his arms, hugging him and pulling him for a kiss; when she pulled away, she couldn't even stay one more minute, and seeing her board the train with his siblings made him wish to be there even more.

* * *

**Three. The Hogsmeade Village**

Ned had been coming to Hogsmeade since Brandon had started his third year, at least one time each year; but this year, he had come each of their weekends off – he had even brought Robert over one time, it didn't go well bringing a muggle over (even if some girls had taken a liking to him, maybe because he could play even better lies in them – he had told one that he was the son of the prime minister, and he would have gotten away with it, if it wasn't for a muggleborn girl sitting nearby).

Since it was Valentine's weekend, Ned was mainly planning to meet up with Catelyn, so that was why he waited alone at the _Three Broomsticks Inn_ for her, and he was nervous, he could see a lot of people looking at him, knowing he was a squib, there were even a few whispers around him.

"I don't want to be in the same place as certain people. Really the inn has lost its standard," he heard someone say, by their colours he suspected Slytherin, before that group stood up, and walking near him, he heard one of them whisper something he couldn't understand. But he quickly gathered the meaning, his body started to swell, including his tongue so he couldn't speak and ask for help either, luckily a Slytherin boy noticed something weird with him.

"Sorry, are you okay? I heard my house mates talking, and sometimes they can be a bit cruel…" It was nothing Ned hadn't heard before, and he wished he could say that to the guy, but instead he just showed him his hand and tongue. "Ohh… Merlin… that's swollen," he noticed, and looking around, he said. "Sorry, I'll just go get my sister – she's over 17, and good at healing spells. And you know with you being a squib not many people would like to help you," the boy said sincerely, something that almost no one did.

The older boy disappeared out of the inn, and was back in less than three minutes, followed by a girl who looked like him, and an older boy with the Targaryen look.

"Sorry, if I took too long," the boy said. "My sister was at the _Tomes and Scrolls_ – it's a bookshop."

"So what's wrong?" The girl asked.

"He can't talk, one of the Slytherins swollen his mouth, and body too – can't you see?!"

"I'm Elia," the girl said, coming closer. "He's my brother, Oberyn, and that boy behind me is my boyfriend, Rhaegar. So now I need you to be still," she told him, before turning to her brother and asking. "Do you know his name?"

"No. Like you can see, he _can't_ talk."

"Don't be cheeky, Oberyn. Think of something for his tongue, I can't use the same spell as for his body, Rhaegar."

So the girl took his hand, and started feeling for something, trying to find something, Ned concentrated on her face, but it gave nothing away.

"It's seems a pretty regular swelling spell to me, but can you take you jacket off, just to be sure?" Ned nodded, and did as she said; she rolled up his sleeves and probed a bit more into his skin. "Okay, fairly normal," she said before taking her wand from her robes and whispering a spell, touching him in his arms, and then chest and legs with the wand. They waited a little, before she started feeling him again, first arms, and then chest – where she could still feel some lumps – and then the legs, which she apologized for when touching him.

"How are your legs? Can you stand up?" She asked, and he tried, being sucessful. "Good. There's still some swelling on your chest, but they should go down soon, if not look for a real healer," she told him before turning to her boyfriend. "Can you think for something to do to his tongue? I can only think of potions."

"Me too. I could ask someone for suggestions…"

"He's a muggle…"

"Squib," Oberyn corrected Elia.

"Squib, so nothing tells us people won't lie to hurt him. Ask Madam Rosmerta if she has any of these products," she said writing down on a piece of paper – surprisingly with a pen, she didn't look muggleborn to him. "If not go to _J. Pippin's Potions_. Quick, I don't know how much time he can go like this, it's still swelling, soon he won't be able to breathe."

"Sure," he said before disappearing out of the shop.

"You're Ned, right?" The girl asked, and he couldn't be more surprised. "You kind of look like Brandon, doesn't he, Oberyn? Also I'm roommates with Catelyn, she has enough photos of you, and you noticed the pen, it's hers by the way – such a useful invention," she said, smiling, and Ned nodded to her. "She should be here soon. She was choosing her clothes when I left, and I think she had to wait for your siblings and your baby brother – sorry can't remember the name – wanted to send a ton of messages."

"He's not saying anything, should we take that for a yes or a no?" Oberyn asked.

"It's a yes, isn't?" Elia asked Ned, who nodded. "Okay, let's just wait for Rhaegar to get back."

So they stayed like that, Oberyn doing most of the talking, while Ned and Elia looked attentively to the door, waiting for good news – it was only on the fourth time that the door was thrown opened that there were good news.

"It's Cat," Elia whispered. "I'm going to go get her," Ned saw the girl stood up, and go talk with Catelyn, who came running.

"Ohhh… Merlin… What happened?" She asked sitting next to her.

"Which of the fuckers from your house was?" Brandon asked Oberyn.

"I couldn't see, sorry. But I'm sure I can get the truth out of someone – I'll get back to you."

"Thanks," Brandon said, patting Oberyn on the back.

"What's wrong with him?" Lyanna asked.

"Swollen. I could get the one in his body down, but his tongue is still swollen, Rhaegar went to get some stuff so I can brew a potion."

"There's no need," Catelyn said, pointing out a spell – the one Elia had used in his body.

"I'm afraid, the tongue is too fragile."

"Use the muggle way to calm it down first," Catelyn suggested, and before Elia could ask what she meant, Lyanna said.

"Ice." Elia was quiet for awhile, before finally saying.

"Yes, I think it may work. Oberyn, go call Rhaegar off. Brandon, can you go ask for ice, please?"

And like that Elia took the lead again, this time Catelyn sat next to him holding his hand, while Lyanna put the ice in his mouth, and Elia whispered the spell again – Ned could feel the difference immediately.

"How are you feeling?" Catelyn asked, squeezing his hand. "Wait don't answer, you need to keep the ice for a little while."

Ned held Catelyn's hand a bit tighter, while he looked at his brother and sister sitting around them, as well as Elia, Rhaegar and Oberyn who had finally came back.

"I think you can spit the ice, now," Elia said, giving him a plate, to where he spit the ice. "How are you?"

"Fine," he whispered, it was a bit hard to speak, mostly due to how cold his mouth was.

"I'm sure his mouth is cold. Maybe you could warm it for him," Brandon suggested smirking.

"Shut up," Catelyn said. "Don't you have a date to get to?"

"Fuck… I do have. Bye, Ned. Tell Mum and Dad hi for me."

"I will," Ned was able to say.

"So I see you're better," Elia said. "Would you mind if we left?"

"Yeah, me too," Oberyn said.

"No problem. And thank you so much for the help."

"Cat doesn't shut up about you, it was about time I met you," Elia said, while standing up, and at the same time Ned could see Catelyn's face turn completely scarlet.

Soon after it's just them and Lyanna, who seeing that she was now a third wheel, hugged her brother and left.

"Sorry, I took so long," Catelyn said. "I wanted to be here earlier, and if I had those jerks wouldn't have hurt you."

"I'm okay, now, Cat, I promise," Ned told her, inviting her to go for a walk with him – he just wanted to make the most of this day with her, because as the Slytherin guys had pointed out he didn't belong there.

* * *

**Four. The Wedding**

Ned was staying in one of the rooms at the Tully manor, waiting for the time to come, he looked downstairs and couldn't find even one school friend – he knew it was for the best, he couldn't bring them to a wizard wedding, and after all he and Catelyn had thrown a brunch for his friends, some family and Catelyn's friends that could behave around a muggle crowd.

"Hey," someone said, pushing the door open. "Are you freaking out?"

"I don't think so," Ned told Robert, after all he did have a muggle friend with him.

"I really don't know why you have to get marry so early," that was one thing Ned didn't miss with his muggle friends, most of them had asked him if Catelyn was pregnant. "We were supposed to go to university and be roommates next year."

"I'm still going."

"Yeah, but you'll be living with Cat," Robert said, coming to stand by his side. "I'm happy for you; I just can't understand all of your wizard stuff. What'll she be doing?"

"There's a small wizard community around Cambridge – we hope she can find her place there," Ned was looking forward to his future with Catelyn, starting today – it seemed a bit uncertain with them living in different worlds. He would be telling his friends that he's married and that his wife, hopefully, already has a real job.

"Ned, it's time," his sister said coming to the door.

"Thank you," Ned said, and moved away from the window.

"Any other wizard stuff I should know?" Robert asked.

"Just let my brother pass when he pats you on the shoulder, there's an union magic thingy…" Ned didn't like that their fathers still went along with this, he understood they wanted to keep it as normal as possible, but just didn't feel right to have his brother doing this particularly spell for him.

"Sure," Robert said throwing an arm around his shoulder, and moving out of the room. "The groom is coming trough," his friend yelled. "Hide the bride!"

"There's no one here, stupid," Lyanna said, turning the corner.

"How could I guess?! I just know I need to get this boy to the end of the aisle.

They continue their way down, to the back garden, and Lyanna followed them, until she said goodbye to go join the bride and the other bridesmaids.

"I'll tell Cat you love her for you," she said, skipping away.

The garden was completely filled. Just the Stark family filled more than 4 rows and the Tully other three, there were 7 rows for business partners of both families, and then some colleagues and friends of Catelyn. He walked to his place at the altar, with Robert taking the place next to him.

"So how are you feeling, son?" His father asked, walking up to him. "Nervous. I was rather nervous when I married your mother."

"I'm not nervous, Dad," Ned said, he was sure this was what he wanted, it didn't matter to him how many people told him he was moving to fast.

"And why were you nervous when you married me, Rickard?" His mother said coming forward. "And you look very handsome, Ned."

"I was just excited, my love," his father said, kissing Mother's cheek.

"Sure, love. We're going back to out seats. Brandon, Benjen, and Robert, dear, look after our groom, please."

"Of course, ma'am."

Ned took a look at his best man and groomsmen, before turning back to everyone around him, just before the music started and his eyes could only be on the start of the aisle, where his future wife would walk on – the first one down the aisle was his sister, Lyanna, wearing a dress chosen by Catelyn and the maid of honour, but with sneakers in her feet instead of heels or sandals, she winked at Ned before taking her place; then it was Elia, one of her best friends and roommate during a big part of her Hogwarts years; and now only the maid-of-honour – Catelyn's own sister, Lysa – was left before it was finally Catelyn's turn.

It was an obvious cliché, but Ned felt his heart skip a beat, she looked beautiful, her dress was a mix of a traditional wizarding gown, but with a veil – a muggle tradition – her face flushed her their eyes met, and Ned noticed that her cheeks were as red as her hair, and most important that she had left it down.

He took her hand when she reached the end of the aisle, and tried to reach for her loose hair, but she only answered by sending him a warning look to behave. And he smiled internally (Catelyn could still see it, she saw everything about him), because while he regretted being different – from muggles, leading his friends to miss this important milestone, and wizards, making this wedding never a normal one – he was happy that everything led it to her.

* * *

**Five. The Park and The Boo-boo**

Ned was relieved that neither of his kids seemed to have inherit his incapacities, even young Rickon has already shown traces of magic, and he was proud to see them own up to their magic heritage.

They were happy to be able to show their kids both sides of life – muggle and wizard – Ned was a cop in the muggle world, while Catelyn divided her time between teaching children until the age of 11, and continuing her study of Magic history (Hogwarts had even invited her to teach there once, but she declined the offer).

Since both of his oldest children had left for Hogwarts, he couldn't spend as much time with them as he wished, but now Robb and Sansa had come home for the Christmas holidays.

Ned had been able to convince Robb to come with him, Arya and Rickon to the park, Sansa had wanted to stay at home, probably to tell everything to Catelyn about the start of her first year, and Bran had plead that he was coming to a good part of the book he was reading, and he couldn't stop.

"Dad, look at me," Arya yelled from the top of slide.

"Be careful, Arya," Ned warned, turning his eyes for a second from Rickon, who was playing in the sand box, and when looking back to his son, he already had sand in his mouth. "Come on, Rickon, no sand on your mouth. I've told you," he told his youngest son, taking the sand from his hands, hoping that he wouldn't intentionally send sand into his face using magic.

Ned had hoped Robb would help him look after his younger siblings, but he seemed to be wrong, finding his fifteen year old son with his attention turned to a group of girls nearby.

"Fun!" Rickon yelled, clapping on the sand, and throwing it on the hair – luckily nothing got in their eyes, just both their heads. He moved closer so he could shake his son hair to see if he could get some of it out.

"Now, you'll have to wash you hair when you get home."

"No bath!" He protested, but Ned perfectly knew that Catelyn wouldn't let him go without a good scrubbing, so he just smiled and looked for Arya again, scrubbing his own hair, finding her on the swing set; when turning around back again, Rickon was running again, Ned immediately stood up and ran after him.

"Rickon, stop! Don't go too far," luckily he didn't he made it too far, he stopped at the slide, and started to climb, Ned wasn't too far behind, being able to help him climb and slide, over and over again, until he heard a thump, looking over, his heart stopped.

"Arya!" He ran to her side, she was lying on the floor, and she was bleeding from her leg. "Ohhh… Arya, can you hear me?" He asked ripping her leg pant, seeing she had a wound, not that small – it seemed.

"Yes, Daddy," she whispered.

"Robb!" He yelled for his oldest son, when he turned and saw Arya lying down he ran over to them. "Arya, does it hurt anywhere else?"

"No, just the leg," she whispered.

"Your head?" Robb asked, coming closer, and Arya just shook her head. "What do we do, Dad?"

"Call the hospital," one of the girls that had been with Robb said.

"Could you please look after my little brother?" Robb asked them, pointing at Rickon, who Ned held to his back, covering the small child's eyes.

"Of course," they said taking him away, while Ned immediately noticed Robb take out his wand.

"Robb," Ned warned, but he didn't know what else to say.

"Dad, I've seen Mum use healing spells, especially in Arya and I, and even a few times on Rickon. I can do it."

"You'll get in trouble with the ministry."

"It's for Arya, Dad," Robb protested, and once again wished he could be the one to do it, but he knew that his baby girl was suffering and they didn't had enough time to get to Catelyn – and taking a wizard to a hospital was never a good idea. So Ned watched as his son healed his daughter, holding Arya tighter to him. "The wound is closing, Dad. Cover it, and take her to the car. I'll get Rickon, and make sure the girls didn't see anything they shouldn't."

Ned moved to the car, holding Arya to him and sat her on the back seat, soon after Robb was next to him and they were making their way home.

"Will she be okay?" Rickon asked.

"I think so," Ned answered. "Thank you, Robb. And if it's needed I'll go to hearing with you."

"Thanks, Dad. Do you think Mum will be mad I'm being called to the ministry?"

"You did it to stop your sister's pain, she won't be mad, neither am I. I'm just sorry I couldn't be the one to do something."

"Dad, don't talk like that…" Robb said, with the exact same tone Catelyn used when she said the same thing. Ned drove in silence for the rest of the trip, stealing glances to the back seat, finding Rickon holding Arya's hand.

When they finally get home, Mum is already at the door waiting for them, and Ned could be sure she already knew something happened.

"A letter from the ministry came through, Robb Stark," he heard her say. "You couldn't have one good reason to use magic, especially in front of muggles."

"They didn't see, Mum, I made sure of it," Robb protested.

"Cat," Ned whispered, holding Arya on his arms, and Catelyn's attention immediately turned to them.

"Ned, what happened?"

"She fell, still not sure how. I was looking over Rickon. It was because of Arya that Robb had to use magic, he needed to heal Arya. I'm so sorry, Cat," he told her, looking at her blue eyes doing everything to keep the tears from coming down, while she walked next to him, leading them to the house.

"How is she?"

"I guess what Robb did, worked. Her wound closed, her breathing is normal – I think she's just sleeping."

"Thank you, Robb," Catelyn said hugging her son, before walking inside the house to explain to Sansa and Bran what had happened, Ned still holding Arya took her to her room, and prayed she would still be okay, and that his son's future wasn't ruined.

* * *

**The Prom**

The Prom was one of the biggest events on a teenager's life, of course it didn't compare how it was seen in the USA, but his school still held it in great importance. So Ned witnessed all of his friends throwing amazing invites, and Ned waited for a confirmation from Catelyn – she would need to convince Principal Targaryen to leave the school for at least two days (_ohhh… her father too_).

When the day finally came he waited for her at King's Cross station, Ned was nervous this time, not just because of prom, but because he would officially ask her to marry him today – after all their fathers had already worked an arrangement (his father still couldn't believe he was able to make such a good match for Ned).

When she finally walked out of platform 9, he couldn't believe how beautiful she looked, and also weirdly how much muggle she looked – he knew she had made an effort to not stand up around his friends, but she would – he didn't think he ever saw anyone looking as beautiful as her.

"Ned," she said, before hugging him. "I'm so glad to be here. I hope I look okay, I asked Liz Stone for help – she's muggleborn, so I thought she would know more about this than I."

"You look beautiful, Cat," he told her, and as always she blushed, while she looked down, Ned had the time to pick up what he had behind his back. "I have this for you, people at school decided to wear this for this year's prom. But if you don't want it, I can…"

"It's perfect, Ned, and I've seen it in the movies," she said taking the corsage from his hand, and asking him to help her wrap it around her wrist.

"Yeah, I don't think American's prom is the same as ours."

"Ohhh… Okay," she said, before taking his hand. "So how are we going to get there?"

"Taxi," he told her. "So did the N.E.W.T. go?

"Well, I hope. I really want an 'Outstanding' at History of Magic, and I'll feel really bad if I don't at least have an 'Exceeds Expectations' at Muggle Studies," she finished saying while they entering the taxi, that was already waiting for them. "And your A-levels?" She asked wanting to turn the conversation to a safer subject.

"They went well, too – at least that's what I'm hoping for," he told her, before adding. "But maybe don't make conversation with that – nobody wants to talk about it today, it's about having fun today."

"And getting drunk, my friends told me."

"Yeah, you better not accept drinks from Robert."

"Noted. Anymore advices?" She asked, and Ned lowered his voice, so the cab driver couldn't hear.

"The official story is that you go to a boarding school with my siblings – I guess you truly do."

"Is there a name for this school?"

"Sta. Clare's, I think. But don't mention it if they don't ask."

"We're here," the cab driver said from the front seat, Ned paid the charged.

"Thank you," he told the taxi driver, before helping Catelyn out of the cab. "Come on, Cat," he said, the front of the school was full of cars, some limos and a ton of students.

"NED!" Robert yelled from the front door. "CAT!" He yelled again, pulling Catelyn for a hug first, and then patting Ned on the back.

"Hi, Robert," Catelyn told him smiling. "Where's your date?"

"I'm going stag! There always a few girls that broke up with their boyfriends – and they are so desperate they would go for anyone, so they're surprised to get The Man, and are happy to reciprocate the love," Robert said smirking, and Ned put an hand over Catelyn's to stop her from mentioning how wrong that sounded.

They entered the building together, and she moved closer to Ned, saying.

"This looks amazing, Ned."

"I'm sure it looks nothing like your magic parties," Robert said.

"It does not. But it's so much extraordinary – we can use magic to reproduce snow, you just made it and I don't know how; everything here was carefully done. I'm just reaching the conclusion that wizards are rather lazy," she said smiling, and Robert couldn't help but laugh and say.

"You, lazy?! You can only be joking."

"There are exceptions, of course," she told Robert, who laughed again, before disappearing into the ground. "This does look amazing, Ned."

"I'm sorry to say, Cat. But I had nothing to do with it."

"Could I thank who did?" She asked, and Ned looked at her surprised – sure he could point her to the girls who put this together (but he had never had actually talked to them, maybe one of them asked him for Robert but nothing more). "Please, Ned – they deserve it."

So Ned walked Catelyn to the girls, and stayed there while she thanked them, most girls were actually surprised Ned had a girlfriend (he was surprised they knew his name), and he found out most girls thought Catelyn was made up.

After that, they sat at one of the tables, with Robert coming and going. They talked about everything that had happened since they had last seen each other during spring break. She had been able to convince Ned to share two dances with her, but most of the time she wanted to dance, she enjoyed it with Robert or others of Ned's friends (others had asked, but she respectfully refused them).

But her favorite part of prom was the end, her eyes had shined with amazement at the fireworks (she had always thought it was a wizard thing that she always loved and remembered her of her childhood so much). She sat next to him on the soccer field, surrounded by other couples, noticing Robert sitting rather close by with some girl in his arms.

_Score_, he mouthed, winking at Ned and giving him the thumbs up.

"Thank you so much for this, Ned. I think I can finally understand why the films make of it such a big thing," she whispered, laying her head on his shoulder. "It's magic, Ned. It's beautiful – it's dreams coming true. It's saying goodbye to school, and hello to adulthood," she said, and he decided not to ruin the moment by reminding her that most students here were following their studies with college.

"I'm glad you think so."

"It's the best night of my life," she said, and for once he felt happy to live a muggle life and being able to show her this world – and he just hoped he would make this weekend even more special when he presented her with the ring that would bound their lives forever.


End file.
